Britain could one day rival the Champagne region of France as a major producer of high quality wine after experts identified areas of prime potential vineyard real estate in Kent, Sussex and East Anglia.

The locations cover nearly 34,000 hectares in total, an area slightly bigger than Champagne, which have become ideal for growing grapes as climate change improves the conditions.

But while Britain has a growing supply of suitable land, many vineyards are being put in the wrong places, the researchers found.

In the wrong place

The first English sparkling wine from a French champagne house (Photo: Julie Edwards)

“Some of the best areas that we found are where relatively few vineyards currently exist such as in Essex and Suffolk,” said lead author Alistair Nesbitt, of the University of East Anglia.

“Many existing vineyards are not that well located, so there is definitely room for improvement and we hope our research can help boost future productivity,” he added.

He wouldn’t be specific about the precise locations, for commercial reasons, except to point out that some are in the area around the Crouch Valley region of Essex.

The areas identified are drier, warmer, with more stable conditions from year-to-year than some of the more established vineyard locations, Dr Nesbitt said.

Established vineyards

The established vineyards stretch across Kent, the east of England and as far west as Wales.

The research is published in the Journal of Land Use Science.

Professor Steve Dorling, also from UEA, added: “English and Welsh vineyards are booming, and their wine is winning international acclaim.”

UK wine industry

“This summer’s heatwave has led to a record grape harvest and a vintage year for English and Welsh wine, prompting great interest in investment and land opportunities,” he said.

Some 80 wineries launched in the UK last year, up from 64 in 2016, and more than double the 36 that opened five years ago, according to a recent study from accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young.

Vineyards within the UK have become “increasingly fashionable among City workers looking to invest their bonuses”, the study said, as British vineyards are far less expensive compared with established wine-growing in Europe and the New World.

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